Admittedly, it felt weird for James Canlas when he took to the floor of the Filoil Flying V Centre, Saturday afternoon.
For the first time, the incoming third-year Red Lion did not have batchmate Evan Nelle by his side.
But before the game, Nelle — who transferred to De La Salle University — made sure to text him prior to San Beda’s game against Ateneo.
“Honestly, it’s different, but we just have to play through it. He is just one guy, but he will always be my teammate. He just messaged me earlier, but you just have to do it,” shared the 21-year-old Filipino-Canadian, who has formed a bond with Nelle.
“It’s basically me and Calvin now. We are just going to take it a game at a time.”
During their second year together, Canlas and Nelle created magic on the court. The former posted norms of 14.1 points, 5.6 boards, and 2.8 assists per game, while the latter averaged 10.2 points, 6.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per contest.
The duo helped San Beda to a runner-up finish in the NCAA Season 95 Seniors Basketball Tournament.
Just like everyone else, Canlas felt surprised by Nelle’s decision to move out of Mendiola.
“I was surprised, but at the end of the day, it’s his decision. I got love for him but I respect his decision. He knows that I know that if we were playing together, it would be a different story,” said Canlas.
“Good luck to him at La Salle.”
In their first game without Nelle, Canlas played the role left by Nelle. And he struggled against SJ Belangel, finishing with just 11 points on 5-of-15 shooting to go along with three rebounds and three assists in San Beda’s 69-83 loss to Ateneo in the 2019 PCCL: UAAP-NCAA Challenge.
Canlas shared that playing floor general has been tough. But he knows that it is a process that he has to go through, not just for himself but for San Beda.
“It’s going to be a big step for me. I have to be a leader now, I have to take charge. So, we will see. I won’t rush anything, take it game by game and slowly find my groove. I have to play point guard now.”
